Apparatus for and method of attaching pompons or the like



April 19, 1932. M. M. BALSAM 1,854,501

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF ATTACHING POMPONS OR THE LIKE Original FiledNov. 13, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS April 19, 1932. M. M.BALSAM 1,854,501

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF ATTACHING POMPONS OR THE LIKE Original FiledNov. 15, '1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR mp0 w April 19, 1932. M. M.BALSAM 1,854,501

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF ATTACHINGPOMPONS OR THE LIKE Original Filed-Nov. 13,, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 I ll. A nll l I M mum INVENTOR April19, 1932. M BALSAM 1,854,501

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF ATTACHING POMPONS OR THE LIKE Original FiledNov. 13, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR W 2 Add 4&4, M [An-om April 19,1932. M. M. BALSAM 1,854,501

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF ATTACHING POMPONS OR THE LIKE Original FiledNov. 13, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 April 19,. 1932. I M. M. BALSAM APPARATUSFOR AND METHOD OF ATTACHING POMPONS OR ,THE LIKE Original Filed Nov. 15,1929 .6 Sheets-Sheet 6 l NVENTOR J; A'ITORNEY5 Patented Apr. 19, 1932UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAURICE M. BALSAM, on NEW YORK, N. Y.,ASSIGNOR T HERMAN H. RUBIN, on

NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR- AND METHOD OF ATTACHING POMPONS OR THE LIKE Applicationfiled November 13, 1929, Serial No. 406,793. Renewed September 9, 1931.

The present invention relates to apparatus for and method of attachingpompons or the like, more particularly where the pompon is to be securedto the butt or flat end of a longitudinally extending member one exampleof which will conveniently be referred to herein as a handle, althoughit is not intended to limit the scope of this invention so far as thesame may be applied to securing 0bjects other than pompons at endportions of objects not ordinarily designated as handles. The nature andutility of my invention will be better understood from a description ofan embodiment thereof adapted more particularly to attach a pompon,pompon blank or the like to one end of a cord or handle to formwhat iscommonly known as a grip strap or assist grip, one type of which isillustrated and described in the patent issued to Herman H. Rubin, No.1,703,321, on the 26th day of February, 1929, and also described in apending application of said Herman H. Rubin, Serial No. 321,409, filedNovember 28, 1928. One purpose of the present invention has been toprovide apparatus and a method whereby the improved grip strap abovereferred to might be made very rapidly and with a minimum ofimperfections in the product. A difficulty commonly experi- 30 encedheretofore in connection with the manufacture of grip straps or assistgrips has been that there was no adequately effective machine wherebythe pompon could be secured to the grip handle, which necessitatedattachin the pompon to the handle by hand or by other unsatisfactorymethods, in the use of which it was found that the pompons were notattached to the handles with sufficient security to meet commercialrequirements. It is therefore a further object of the present improvedapparatus and method to effect a more secure attachment of a pompon orthe like to its supporting handle. Furthermore, it is contemplated thatattachments effected in accordance with my invention will besubstantially uniform in quality so'that the manufacturer my relyconstantly upon his product being capable of passing severe and thoroughinspection. In this re spect, particularly, my invention constitutes amarked improvement in the art because, with all hand operation, thestrength and quality of the product are subject to wide variations, someof the' pompons being well attached, while others, perhaps the greaternumber, are defective and fail to meet the severe tests to which theyare subjected before acceptance.

My invention therefore has to do with an apparatus and method forattaching a pompon to a support whereby an attaching memher iseffectively held in operative relation to a pompon and the support uponwhich the pompon is to be mounted, and a clamping or fastening member isapplied thereto to securely clamp a portion of the attaching member intoengagement with the support.

The appended drawings illustrate one form of my improved apparatuswherewith it is possible to practice my improved method. In saiddrawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a pom pon and its support or handlein the relative positions which they initially occupy in nor- H maloperation;

Figure 2, a top plan view showing a pom pon, a support and an attachingmember or device in operative position to receive a fastening member tobe deformed into clamping engagement with said attaching member and saidsupport;

Figure 3, an enlarged fragmentary top plan view showing mechanism forguiding the attaching member and compressing the p p v Figure 4 3;fragmentary view partly in transverse section on the line .4l of Figure3;

Figure 5, a view in transverse vertical section on the line 5-5 ofFigure 1;

Figure 6, an enlarged fragmentary View partly in horizontaltransverse-section illustrating in greater detail the relative positionsof the pompon attaching member and the support just prior totheoperation of securing the attaching member to the support.

Figure 7 a view in perspective of one of a pair of cooperating jaws orstop members adapted to limit-movement of the pompon while permittingadvance of free end portions of the attaching member into position to beengaged by the fastening means.

Figure 8, a fragmentary view partly in transverse vertical sectionshowing the position of the parts just prior to the operation oftheifastening member or clamp applying means and with a fastening memberor clamp in normal operative position to be applied;

Figure 9,--a-transverse vertical section on the line 99 of Figure 6;

Figure 10, an enlarged fragmentary top plan view with portions brokenaway and with other portions shown in horizontal section illustratingthe relative positions of the pompon, the attaching member, the supportand the fastening or clamping member after the'clampin operation hasbeen completed and before t e product'is released from engagement withthe apparatus;

Figure 11, a transverse vertical section on the line 11'-11 of Figure10;

Figure 12, a transverse vertical section on the'line 12-12 of Figure 1;

.Fi-gure .13, a view partly in vertical longitudinal sectionillustrating the relative positions ofthe operative-parts correspondingto'the positions thereof indicated in Figure 10;

Figure 14, a view partly in longitudinal section and with portionsbroken away to illustrate one form of product as it appears Whenremovedfrom the attaching apparatus.

Figure 15, a view with-portions broken away tozillustrate one form'of acomplete grip strap or assist grip including a handle having a pomponattached in accordance with the present invention.

In practicing my improved method, I engage a group of strands forming apompon or pompon blank transversely within the bight of-a U-shaped bailor attaching member 2 and efiiect compression of intermediate portionsof said strands against the bail. While the blank is thus held firmly inposition within the bight of said attaching-member, I

bring the free ends thereof into substantially parallel relation withthe longitudinal axis of a support, as a handle or the like 3, said endsbeing adjacent to opposite sides of said handle. I then clamp said freeends securely into engagement with the handle, as by means of afastening device, herein shown as-za staple, which, when deformed, takesthe shape of aclamping ring encircling the free ends ofthe attachingmember and a portion of'the handle. Where theblank is inthe form of aplurality of layers of strands, as more fullydiselosed in the .copendingapplication of Herman H. Rubin, Serial No. 321,409, filed November'23,1928, the stitches or other temporary strand retaining devicesmayiconveniently. be removed after the pompon has been secured to itshandle, and the .further steps for completing the shaping or sizing ofthe pompon may then be pursued as set forth in said pending application,or otherwise. However, so far as the present invention is concerned, mymethod is applicable to the attachment of a pompon whether in the blankform above mentioned or in any suitable intermediate or subsequentstage. After the described attachment has been effected, the freeterminal portions of the U-shaped attaching device are preferably bentback towards the attached pompon, thus locking the pompon securelyagainst endwise displacement. To form a complete commercially acceptablegrip strap or assist grip,

it is customary to conceal the attaching and fastening deviceshereinabove described by means of a ferrule 4, or by other suitabletrimming or decorative expedients, as indicated in Figure 15.

A preferred form of apparatus for attaching a pompon or the like to asupport or handle is shown in the drawings as including a base 5 uponwhich is mounted suitable means for retaining and guiding the attachingmember or bail 2 with a pompon 1 or J the like assembled in operativerelation thereto. Such means may conveniently include cooperating guideblocks 6 pivotally mounted at 7 and each provided with a longitudinallyextending groove 8, Figure 4. WVhere the attaching member 2 takes theform of a wire bail or U-shaped piece of metal, the free ends thereofwill slidably engage the groove 8 while the forward end of a pressermember 9 mounted to slide toward and away from the pivoted blocks 6engages the outer side of the bight.

The presser member 9 is illustrated as mounted on a carrier 10 arrangedin sliding engagement between spaced guides 11 and the frame 5. Thepresser 9 together with its carrier 10 are moved forwardly andrearwardly by any suitable means, such as cooperating links 12 and 13,the latter being pivoted at 14 in the frame 5. These links As indicatedmore clearly in Figures 9 ill-1 and. 10, each block 6 is recessed toreceive a slidable jaw or stop member 15 having an arm 16 extendingthrough a slot 17. As indicated in Figure 5, each arm 16 carries abracket 18. A spring 19 is interposed between and connects said brackets18, thereby normally tending to pull the jaws 15 toward each other. Alever 20 is pivotally connected with one of the brackets 18 at 21 andanother lever 22 is pivotally connected with the other bracket 18 at 23,the levers 20 and 22 being pivot-ally connected at 24.

By depressing the free end of lever 22, which i is preferably providedwith a hand piece 25, the brackets 18 and consequently their respectivecorresponding aws or stop members 15 will be retracted from the forwardnormal position illustrated in Figure for a purpose hereinafter to beexplained.

As will be more apparent from the disclosure of Figure 7, each of thejaws 15 is provided with an end recess 26 and a slot 27 extendingthrough walls of said recess 26. As shown more clearly in Figures and13, the jaws are mounted in the guide blocks 6 with their unrecessedsides exposed rearwardly or toward the advancing end of the pressermember 9, while the recessed side is exposed in the opposite directionand positioned to conveniently receive and guide the forward end or buttof the support or handle 3, in proper relation to the free ends of thebail and to the fastener attaching mechanism hereinafter to bedescribed. The slot 27 in each block 6 is aligned with the correspondingguiding groove 8 therein so that, as the bail 2 is advanced to theposition indicated in Figure 6, the forward ends thereof will extendalong said grooves 8 and thence through slots 27 and beyond the jaws 15to a position substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis ofhandle 3 when the latter occupies the position indicated in Figure 6.

To conveniently and accurately position the butt or end of the handle 3in operative relation to the bail ends, the handle is supported on a.carrier 28 having a handle receiving groove or channel 29. An extensionof the carrier 28 is provided with a pair of spaced impaling members orpins 30 against the ends of which a forward portion of the handle may bepressed to retain the latter in suitable position for engagement withthe devices hereinbefore described. In the illustrated form of mydevice, the impaling pins 30 are releasably held in operative positionby means of athumb screw 31. r As indicated'n Figure 1, the carrier 28forhandle 3 is slidably mounted on the base 5 between brackets 32. Alink 33 is pivotally connected to carrier 28 and to an operating lever34 which in turn is pivotally mounted on the base 5at 35. A stop ordetent 36 limits the retractive movement of operating lever 34. A spring37 is connected to lever 34 at 38 and to the base 5 at 39. In operation,when the .free end of lever 34 is deflected toward the base, the carrier28 advances handle 3 and is normally retained in advanced operativeposition by spring 37 A stop 40 extends into the path of movement oflever 34, thus limiting the extent of forward movement of said lever andof carrier 28.

Referring now to Figure 2, each of the blocks 6 is provided with alateral extension 41 adapted to engage a stop 42 mounted on base 5 andinterposed in the path of said extension, said extensions 41 and stops42 operating to limit the extent of movement of the rear ends of block 6toward each other while the bail 2 is being moved into compressingengagement with the pompon or pompon blank and also while the bail isbeing retained in said pressing relation during operation of thefastener applying and deforming devices hereinafter to be described. Thestops 42 also limit'the extent of movement of blocks 6 in the oppositeor opening direction, as shown in Figure 1.

The mechanism hereinabove described may conveniently be operated toproduce the intended result, somewhat as follows: The operator places abail 2 in straddling engagement with a pompon blank or pompon, as thecase may be, and arranges said bail and pompon in the initial positionindicated in Figure 1. By deflecting the interconnected ends of links 12and 13 downwardly, the presser member 9 advances the bail 2 betweenblocks 6 and into the position indicated in Figure 2. At this position,that portion of the pompon engaged by the bail 2 is compressed betweenthe bight of said bail and the interposed faces of the sliding jaws 15while the free ends of the bail project through slots 27. The handle 3is then brought into operative position with relation to said bail andsaid pompon or pompon blank by deflecting the lever handle 34 as abovedescribed. The parts are now in such position that the free ends of thebail may conveniently be engaged and clamped into final assembledrelation with the handle 3 by suitable fastener attaching or clampingmeans.v

A preferred embodiment of fastener attaching or clamping mechanism isadapted to present a staple-like fastening member in transversestraddling relation to end portions of the bail 2 and adjacent portionsof the handle 3 and to deform or otherwise manipulate said staple insuch a manner that it will be clamped around end portions of the bailand the handle 3.

As shown in Figure 5, a staple engaging moved to advanced position bymeans of an operating lever 46 pivoted to the base at 47 and provided atits inner end with a cam surface 48 positioned to effect slidingengagement with a roller 49 journaled on a shaft 50 which is mounted ina slot formed in carrier 51 to which the presser 43 is also connected.As shown in Figure 1, the operating lever 46 is in position to permitthe presser 43 to occupy its retracted or inoperative position. A stop52 limits the extent of movement of the operating lever 46 in thisdirection. As shown in Figure 2, the operating lever 46 is positioned tohold the presser 43 in advanced position and its movement toward saidposition is limited by means of a stop 53.

Opposite the presser 43, Figure 5, is a die or former 54 mounted on asuitable carrier 55 which in turn is slidably mounted on base 5. The dieor former 54 is fashioned with a recess adapted to embrace a portion ofa handle to which a pompon is intended to be attached and also toembrace a portion of a bail or the like by means of which the connectionbetween the pompon and the handle is effected. The recessed portion ofdie 54 is also provided with a groove or channel 56 suitably shaped andproportioned to accommodate the free ends of a staple or staple-likefastening device and, when the presser 43 is brought into properrelation to the die 54, to deform said staple in such a way as to clampthe same securely around a handle and the ends of a bail when they areproperly positioned across said groove 56. In Figure 6, the parts areshown in the relative positions which they occupy after an operator hasplaced a staple 5'7 with its bight in engagement with the presser 43 andwith its free ends positioned to slide into engagement with the groove56. Another view of this arrangement of the parts is shown in Figure 8.

Referring again to Figure 5, the carrier 55 is mounted to slide towardand away from the presser 43. For this purpose, I have provided a link59 pivotally secured to the carrier 55 at 60 and a link 61 pivoted at 62and pivotally connected with link 59 at 63. A rod 64 is pivotallyconnected to the links 59 and 61 at 63 and to a foot operated lever 65at 66. A spring 67 has one end attached to av collar 68 and its otherend attached to the base 5, said collar 68 being adjustably secured tothe rod 64. The spring 67 tends normally to hold the carrier 55 inretracted position, as indicated in Figure 5. By pressing down the footengaging portion of lever 65, the links 59 and 61 are deflected intoextended relation, thus causing the carrier 55 to advance toward thepresser 43. It will be noted that the pivotal connection between link 61and base 5 is effected through an adjustable bracket 69, said bracketbeing retained in any desired position of adjustment by means of a nut70 and a set screw 71 threaded in a fixed bracket 7 2. The mechanismjust above described permits a fine adjustment and control of themovement of carrier 55 to accommodate the operation of the staplefastening means to different conditions encountered, such for example asvariations in the length of staples to be used as fastening members.

In operation, the operator positions a staple as indicated in Figure 6and, while holding the same in such position, depresses the free end oflever 65, Figure 5, until the groove 56 in die 54 encounters the endportions of said staple. He then retracts the presser 43 while advancingthe die 54 and continues advancing die 54 until the parts reach therelative positions shown in Figure 11. During this operation, the freeends of staple 57 are gradually bent inwardly and in crossed relation tosuch extent that they completely encircle the handle 3 and the free endsof the bail 2. Upon releasing foot pres sure from the lever 65, carrier55 is retracted and disengages the staple now in fixed position on thehandle 3, leaving the pompon or pompon blank still held securely betweenthe blocks 6 and jaws 15.

As hereinabove suggested, the links 12 and 13 are preferably actuated byanother foot operated mechanism in all substantial respects similar tothat which includes the lever 65. Accordingly, the operator normallyholds the bail 2 and its engaged pompon in operative position bymaintainin pressure on the other foot operated lever. As soon as thestaple 57 has been attached, the operator releases said other footoperated lever controlling the position of links 12 and 13 to disengagethe plunger 9 fromthe bail 2. The ends of the bail 2 are still engagedin the slots 27 of the sliding jaws 15. The operator now presses down onthe free end of lever 22- to slide the jaws 15 laterally or outwardlyand out of engagement with the ends of bail 2, thus freeing the bail andpompon so that they may be removed from the attaching apparatus togetherwith the handle to which they are now secured.

It is contemplated that various mechanical equivalents may besubstituted for the specific mechanisms referred to in the abovedescription of a preferred form of my apparatus and that the sequence ofsteps defining my improved method may be varied with out material effectupon the intended results.

I claim as my invention:

1. Attaching apparatus comprising means for supporting ahandle or thelike, means for supporting a Ushaped member in position with its freeends straddling an and portion of said handle, means for supporting afastening member in transverse relation to said free ends of theU-shaped member, and means for deforming said fastening member intoengagement with said free ends and said handle.

2. Attaching apparatus comprising means for supporting a handle or thelike, means for supporting an attaching member with a longitudinallydisposed portion in substantially parallel relation to the longitudinalaxis of said handle, means for supporting a fastening member intransverse relation to said longitudinal portion, and means fordeforming said fastening member into engagement with said longitudinalportion and said handle whereby said portion is securely clamped to saidhandle.

3. Apparatus for assembling a handle or the like and an object to besecured to an end thereof, comprising means for supporting said handleand an attaching member with said object-between them and with alongitudinally extending portion of the attaching member disposed insubstantially parallel relation to the longitudinal axis of the handle,means for presenting a fastening member in transverse relation to saidlongi tudinal portion, means for holding a portion of said attachingmember in compressing engagement with a portion of said object, andmeans for deforming the fastening member into engagement with saidlongitudinal portion of the attaching member to effectively clamp saidmember to said handle.

4. Apparatus for assembling a handle or the like and an object to besecured thereto, comprising means for supporting an object with anattaching member in compressing engagement with a portion thereof andwith a disengaged portion extending beyond the compressed portion ofsaid object, means for presenting a fastening member in transverserelation to said disengaged portion of the attaching member, and meansfor deforming said fastening member into clamping engagement with saiddisengaged portion of the attaching member.

5. Apparatus for assemling a handle or the like and an object to besecured to an end thereof by means of an attaching member, comprisingsupporting and guiding means for the attaching member, a stop forlimiting the extent of movement of an object when positioned inoperative relation to said attaching member, means for moving saidattaching member toward said stop to compress a portion of said objectbetween said attaching member and the stop while permitting a portion ofsaid attaching member to move beyond said stop and into position forlongitudinal engagement with a handle, means for attaching a clampingmember in clamping engagement with said extending portion of theattaching member, and means for displacing the stop member from itseffective osition to release the assembled product.

6. In attaching apparatus, the combination of opposed gui e membersadapted to receive a substantially U-shaped bail or the like, meanspositioned to engage said bail to retain the same in operative positionbetween said guides, and means for effecting relative movement betweensaid bail engaging means and said bail guiding means to operativelyposition said bail.

7 In attaching apparatus, the combination of opposed guide membersmounted for limited pivotal movement toward and away from each other andadapted to engage longitudinally disposed portions of a U-shaped bailorthe like, means for engaging a transversely disposed portion of saidbail, and means for effecting relative movement between said guidemembersand said last men-' Eioned means to operatively position saidail.

8. In attaching apparatus, the combination of opposed guide blocks eachhaving a longitudinally extending groove adapted to engage alongitudinal portion of a U-shaped bail, a jaw mounted to movetransversely in relation to said groove and having a slot so positionedand arranged that when the jaws are in operative extended position theirrespective slots will be aligned with said longitudinal grooves, andmeans for moving said jaws to operative and inoperative positionsrespectively.

9. In attaching apparatus, the combination of a base, a pair of bailguiding members pivotally mounted in spaced relation on said base andhaving bail receiving grooves in their opposed faces, a aw slidablymounted at one end of each guiding member, said jaws being movabletoward and away from each other, a bail presser, and means for effectingrelative movement between said guiding member and said presser topresent a bail engaging portion of said presser at will in oplgrativerelation between said guiding memers.

10. In attaching apparatus, the combination of means for holding aU-shaped bail or the like with end port-ions straddling a handle or thelike in a longitudinal direction, a former located at one side of theoperative position of said handle and adapted to present guiding anddeforming surfaces in the path of free end portions of a U-shapedfastener when the latter is in operative position to straddle saidhandle transversely, means at the other side of the operative positionof said handle to engage another end portion of said fastener, and meansfor effecting relative movement between said former and said fastenerengaging member whereby the fastener may be clamped around the handle.

11. Method of securing a pompon or the like to a handle or supportingmember by means of a metallic attaching member including the steps ofholding said pompon with an intermediate portion in compressed conditionbetween a portion of said attaching member and an end of said handle,and applying a clamping member around said handle and another portion ofsaid attaching member.

12. Method of securing a pompon or the like to a handle or supportingmember by means of a metallic attaching member including thestepsofmoving said attaching member into position with a portion of saidmember in compressing engagement with an intermediate portion of saidpompon, and clamping said attaching member to said handle While holdingan end of said handle adj mom to the compressed portion of said pom-011; p In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificationthis 12th day of November, 1929.

MAURICE M; BALSAM.

